1. Field
The present invention relates to a rechargeable battery and a rechargeable battery module including the rechargeable battery.
2. Description of the Related Art
A rechargeable battery can repeatedly perform charge and discharge, unlike a primary battery. A rechargeable battery of a small capacity is used for a small portable electronic device like a mobile phone or a laptop computer and a camcorder, and a rechargeable battery of a large capacity is used as a power source for driving a motor of a hybrid vehicle and an electric vehicle.
A rechargeable battery may be used as a single battery cell, as in for a small electronic device, or may be used in a module state in which a plurality of battery cells are electrically connected, as when used for driving a motor. A rechargeable battery module is typically formed by connecting electrode terminals of unit battery cells with a busbar.
The rechargeable battery has a negative electrode terminal that is connected to a negative electrode of the electrode assembly and a positive electrode terminal that is connected to a positive electrode thereof. When forming a rechargeable battery module, negative and positive electrode terminals of adjacent rechargeable batteries are connected with a busbar.
In this case, an insulating member that supports negative and positive electrode terminals at an outer surface of a cap plate may be melted or may generate smoke due to a welding heat occurring upon laser welding. Therefore, strength deterioration and an external appearance failure of an insulating member may occur.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.